Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley directed the band’s newest video for Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space. The MusicNerd Chronicles recently had the chance to catch up with Buckley to discuss the video as well as why the band feels Epitaph is the best label for the genre-bending band.

The video for Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space certainly has its fair share of provocative images. Was it important for you to give your fans something to digest and really think about as opposed to filming a straight-ahead performance video? 

Buckley: I definitely didn’t want the images contained in the video to be something that could sit with people’s minds too long. I wanted to do my best to keep the images correlated to the music they were hearing. The video was our way of saying that we aren’t going for a radio hit and we are not aiming for airplay on MTV. Frankly, that was never a priority for the band anyway. We have always aimed to make music for ourselves first and foremost.

Seeing how the video is comprised of so many edits to bring the short video clips together, how long did making the video take from start to finish? 

Buckley: First off, I had to scour the web to find the clips contained in the video. A lot of the clips that we used in the video were featured in an online public archive and I literally spent weeks going through it. Going into making the video, I knew what I liked and had a good feel for what I wanted the video to look like. The biggest challenge ended up being timing the clips to sync up with the music. I’m a complete perfectionist so there ended up being a lot that I wasn’t initially happy with. All in all, I’d estimate the video took 72 hours to put together.

Being on the roster at Epitaph must be completely freeing in terms of not feeling as though you have to compromise your artistic vision or sound at the end of the day.

Buckley: It is definitely a big help knowing that the people investing their time, money, and energy into the band to help us become successful. They completely trust us and are a very hands-off label. In fact, during the making of Ex-Lives, Brett Gurewitz [Epitaph Records’ owner] came down to the studio once to hear what we were up to. He offered a few suggestions and then left us to our own devices again. We can’t argue with that.

The year began with the release of her full-length debut effort Waitin’ and Seein’ and Townsend was hand-picked by the members of Heart to open their Cross-Canada tour last winter. After touring throughout Canada and the United Kingdom, the year wrapped up with Townsend taking home four Music Nova Scotia Awards this past November in the categories of Female Artist Recording of the Year, New Artist Recording of the Year, Rock Recording of the Year and Recording of the Year.

When the subject of her busy year is broached, you can’t help but feel as though Townsend’s head is still spinning from one of her most successful years to date.

“My only complaint is that the year went by too quickly,” she says. “It was great but it was definitely a bit of a whirlwind year. I find that as I am getting older, time is passing by so quickly and if anything, I just wish that last year has passed by a little slower.”

One of the only negative aspects of 2011 for Townsend was having the group’s longtime drummer leave the band. Townsend says that their former drummer had let it be known that he would be leaving the band and an unexpected broken hand on the eve of a national tour threatened to sideline the group’s plans. Fortunately though, New Waterford resident Steve Wilton stepped up to the plate, learning Townsend’s catalogue over a period of two days and then joined the band on their tour. It turns out the arrangement was no temporary thing; Wilton now counts himself as a full-time member of the band.

“Steve really saved us and ended up bringing a whole new energy to the band and to the songs. He took what could have been a really unfortunate situation and completely turned it around for the best.”

Still reeling from her multiple wins at Music Nova Scotia Week, Townsend is heading into this year’s East Coast Music Awards, being held in Moncton this coming April, with a pair of nominations. And though she is not likely to argue should she win the awards for the categories in which she is nominated, Townsend says it is simply an honour to be invited to the party.

“The East Coast Music Award nominations are definitely a nice feather in my hat. I am still trying to get over my Music Nova Scotia wins to be honest with you,” she laughs. “Having been fortunate enough to receive nominations, I see it as encouragement to keep doing what I am doing.”

Having essentially been on the road from late November 2010 until September 2011, Townsend admits that she has been enjoying the down time in her schedule over the past few months. Nonetheless, she shares that she is indeed starting to get antsy to get back on the road and play.

Townsend’s show this coming Wednesday at Moncton’s Plan B Lounge marks the start of a run of four shows that will also take her to Saint John, Halifax and Charlottetown.

“As much as I have been enjoying the break from being on the road, I find I have been spending some time lately thinking about how much longer until I play my next show,” Townsend says. “I spent four days in Prince Edward Island last week and even during the drive there and home, I felt the spark of wanting to be back on the road return.”

Article published in February 17, 2012 edition of the Times & Transcript

It seems to be human nature that many of us are afraid of change yet for others, change is the catalyst for helping discover new passions in life.

Take for instance Nova Scotia musician Laura Merrimen. Widely acclaimed for her 2010 album Love Letters For Lonely Hunters, her debut effort sported a sound that was rooted in Americana and roots. These days however, Merrimen is currently putting the finishing touches on a still untitled album that sees her moving in more of a rock n’ roll direction.

Despite the change in musical direction, Merrimen has not disavowed her association with roots music by any means.

“I come from a very musical family,” she says. “My love of roots and country music could go right back to my grandparents with Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Music has always been a part of my daily routine. I’ve been singing since I could talk plus both of my parents are musicians as well. Our family get-togethers would often turn into people sitting around playing guitars and singing along.”

Acknowledging that there is a shift in musical direction on her upcoming album that might surprise some, Merrimen hints that her purpose has always been to serve her songs the best they can, genres and categorizations aside. Stating that she is rather proud of the end result, there is no denying that Merrimen is comfortable with the way that her upcoming record has turned out.

“I really like to test myself and change is a big part of that. I love all styles of music and can pull them off so it makes sense in the bigger picture. It is nothing against the genre by any means but I don’t write only country songs so I don’t want to be solely known as a country or folk artist. I see the movement into rock and blues as a natural progression in my career. I am not closing the door on any possibilities, to be honest. My next record could end up being a full-on country album for all I know.”

With a projected release date of May for her new album, Merrimen anticipates that her schedule will be getting a tad busier in the months to come. She anticipates launching the record with a tour of the Maritimes before looking west to the rest of the country to promote the record.

“I am very fortunate to be able to play both solo as well as with a band,” she says. “I love playing in both formats and believe that these days, it is more of a necessity than anything, to be able to wear a number of different hats and expose people to your music any way you can.”

Article published in February 17. 2012 edition of the Times & Transcript

New Teenage Kicks  record set to drop February 28!

One of the more exciting bands to emerge from the Toronto area, rock n rollers Teenage Kicks (that’s them pictured to the left) are set to release their newest effort entitled Be On My Side. The record is currently available for pre-order from the most excellent folks at Maple Music. Having really enjoyed their debut EP Rational Anthems, I am really looking forward to hearing what the boys have come up with for their latest release.

Pre-ECMA show in Moncton on Saturday February 25!

A mix of musical genres will converge at Plan B Lounge here in Moncton next Saturday night when Halifax’s Gloryhound, Moncton’s Phil Flowers, Charlottetown’s Coyote and Newfoundland’s Chris Kirby join forces for what will be a great evening of music. The show is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m.

Black-leather-cool and plenty of swagger, Gloryhound will show how it’s done. The band has rocked its hit single “Electric Dusk” to the top of the Billboard Canada charts and recently opened a slew of dates for the legendary Deep Purple.

Coyote is from Charlottetown, and is made up of five friends that play uplifting rock together. They’ve played extensively over the past year, sharing the stage with acts such as Rich Aucoin, Library Voices, Paper Lions, and The Junction. They have finished recording their debut EP entitled Tracks, to be released in early March.

Armed with resolution and an acoustic guitar, Phil Flowers makes music that reflects the anxieties of existence and the integrity of true art.   His debut album, People People, earned him three Music New-Brunswick Awards, including best Anglophone recording, best Rock recording and Male Solo recording of the year.  Under the heavy influence of North-American folk music, blues, and jazz, Flowers creates a perfect atmosphere for his fiercely imagist lyrics about social heartache and deception.

Chris Kirby rocks his unique style of East Coast R&B, drawing from the sounds of New Orleans, Motown, and from the rich tradition of Newfoundland storytelling. Uniquely described as a cross between Stevie Wonder’s soul and Jamiroquai’s funk, Kirby delivers a fun, high-energy live performance, and his funky grooves spread throughout crowds like wildfire.

Exes for Eyes release new video for Feel Again; asskicking guaranteed!

Year of the Sun Records has announced the release of the official music video for ‘Feel Again’ by the Toronto/Montreal collaborative project Exes for Eyes. The song ‘Feel Again’ was the opening track from the band’s 2011 debut ‘The Amsler Grid’ which, in addition to charting nationally on the Earshot Loud charts the album, received praise from various publications and blogs. Exclaim Magazine declared that “Thrashing around in a world robbed of light, Exes for Eyes have built an album that’s meant to be heard, and felt”. The video was filmed by Dave Sheldon and “Big” James Arsenian from the band along with Connor Sheaves and Liliana Carvalho.

The 66-year-old Cockburn, an Officer of The Order of Canada, is one of Canada’s most celebrated artists with 11 Juno Awards to his credit. He takes the stage at Moncton’s Capitol Theatre Thursday night.

Cockburn’s newest record, Small Source of Comfort, is his 31st record and continues the singer-songwriter’s tradition of wearing multiple hats including humanitarian, protestor and romantic. Combining compelling real-life experiences and beliefs with thought-provoking fiction, Cockburn has held onto his relevancy for more than four decades now in big part due to the immediate, uncensored nature of his songs.

But does his passion for being a champion of social responsibility and various injustices among people around the world still burn deeply inside him? Cockburn laughs at the suggestion that he is a social champion but says that he has always been attracted to things that matter to him personally.

“It is interesting to think of it as social responsibility as it has always been a personal matter for me,” Cockburn says from his Toronto-area home. “I have children and grandchildren and so what happens in the world really matters to me. People who are close to me will grow up with the results of what we are doing now.

“Some of my concerns stem from that but they also stem from a love of our world and nature around us. There are aspects of nature that are harsh and terrifying but really, our planet is a beautiful thing. I do get angry about it sometimes and feel like I want to mouth off,” he laughs.

“But at the end of the day, I simply hope that others will be awakened to what a specific song might be about or develop their own interest in the topic by hearing the song.”

While Cockburn has never been one to shy away from exposing the darker side of the human existence, a couple of songs on Small Source of Comfort stemmed from his visit to Afghanistan in 2010. One of those songs, Each One Lost, pays tribute to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives while the other track, Comets of Kandahar, is an instrumental piece inspired by the light of the fire of the jet engines that take off into the darkness of the Afghan landscape.

“I was in Afghanistan for one week in September 2010. It was an amazingly intense experience. I had the chance to be a part of an incredibly moving ramp ceremony where we were honouring two Canadians who had lost their lives earlier that day. It was a day in my life where it just put things in their proper perspective. It made me realize that the roles that these people in service hold are even more impressive because they are willing to take risks that others don’t.

“Comets of Kandahar was inspired from watching the Canadian fighter jets take off into the night sky,” Cockburn continues. “Of course, the Canadian bases are kept in virtual darkness at night otherwise they would become a target themselves, and all you would see is an incandescent purple tail flame that would shoot across the sky. I was told that no matter how long you had been stationed in Afghanistan, everyone would stop what they were doing and would turn to watch this light dissipate into the night.”

Though he continues to perform with a live band, Cockburn’s show at Moncton’s Capitol Theatre Thursday night will be a solo affair. Calling the show “acoustic in a modern way,” Cockburn says it will feature many tracks from Small Source of Comfort while also revisiting the countless hits from his storied career.

“My brain can retain about two shows worth of songs at any one time. That translates to 40 to 50 songs in playable form. The set list changes over time, from year to year. But there is always an emphasis placed on newer material but there is always a nice cross-section of songs that extend fairly far back as well,” he says.

While his set list may vary, one thing is for certain: Cockburn has no plans to retire from the stage anytime soon. He says that he intends to keep writing and performing until his hands or body prevent him from doing otherwise.

“I always look forward to getting out on the road. I’ve been doing this for more than 40 years and I still like the traveling aspects of being on tour,” he says. “Frankly, I feel fortunate that I am able to continue touring. It is nothing that I take for granted because the older I get, the longer the odds get that I will be able to keep doing that.”

Article published in February 15, 2012 edition of the Times & Transcript

After reaching a certain level of success, many celebrities simply choose to sit back and reap the rewards associated with fame. Brandt is not your typical celebrity, however. Aside from being one of the most lauded Canadian country music artists (Brandt has seven Juno Awards to his credit), he is well known for his philanthropic efforts, as well. In addition to nine chart-topping albums, Brandt earned the distinction of being the first Canadian country music artist since Hank Snow in 1974 to crack the American Top 10 Country Singles chart with his 1996 single My Heart Has A History.

Brandt is currently in the midst of a Cross-Canada tour in support of his latest album Give It Away, his first record of new music in more than four years. He will be performing at Moncton’s Capitol Theatre on Friday night.

Asked why the four-year break between Give It Away and his 2008 record Risk, Brandt sums up his “time off” as really anything but. Not that he is likely to complain about the time lapsed between records, however.

“Kids throw a bit of a wrench into things,” Brandt laughs from down the phone line. “My wife and I have been married for 15 years and we decided after 10 years that we would like to start a family.”

Brandt says that his 3-1/2-year-old son Joseph and his younger sister Lily were actually with him and his wife for the first potion of his current tour. Brandt says that the enthusiasm shown by Joseph for life on the road was really something to behold.

“It was fun to see this crazy life we lead through our kids’ eyes.”

Though Brandt has always been among the most appreciative singers for being able to successfully forge a career in the music business, he tells The Times & Transcript that the four-year span between albums helped give him an even greater appreciation of what he does.

“The time that I had between albums definitely gave me a better appreciation of what I am blessed to do,” he says. “The fact that I can walk into a Wal-Mart or a music store and see my album on the shelves is the kind of thing that I almost have to pinch myself over. While having kids definitely changed some of the perspective heard in my music, as a songwriter, it gave me a new pallet of colours to paint with. It has definitely changed the way I see the world around me. The preciousness of time is on my mind now more than it ever was before.”

A diverse collection of songs exploring the topics of love, loss and passion, Give It Away sees Brandt expand his lyrical and musical scope while remaining true to the sound that his fans have come to know him for.

“I try to challenge myself every time I put out a new record,” Brandt says. “I would love to be able to say that this record is the best thing I have ever done. Really though, I still feel that what I do never seems to be good enough. I think it’s a common trait for anyone who is creative by nature. You’re always pushing yourself to excel.

“When it comes to making a record though, it is something that you just have to finish and put it out. I feel that all records are essentially a snapshot of where the artist was at during that time in their lives.”

While Brandt is known for his singing and songwriting skills, another dimension of his personality was revealed on a CMT Television Show called Build It Forward. Inspired by television shows like Extreme Makeover Home Edition where a deserving family has a house built specific to their personal needs, the Brandt-hosted Build It Forward featured an additional twist.

“My wife Liz and I have spent a lot of time travelling to developing countries throughout the world and that in turn has really changed the way that we see things. So for the families involved in Build It Forward, we asked if they would be interested in going to another country to help a family there build a house. Some of the families involved ended up going to Haiti and Mexico and they in turn got into homes here in Canada that had a low-cost mortgage and it was ultimately a life-changing opportunity for all involved.”

Seven episodes of Build It Forward aired last fall, and Brandt is optimistic that the show will return at some point in the future.

“We are actually in discussions about continuing the show and how it could possibly evolve. At this point, it may become an episodic event where we help one or two families per year.”

In addition to Build It Forward, Brandt and his wife Liz have started the Priceless Gift of Hope Foundation, which aims to help people from all walks of life in Canada and abroad. While others in his position might see their heads swell, Brandt is incredibly grounded and says that being able to help others is more than fulfilling for him and his wife; a no-brainer if you will.

“This career can be very isolating. Most people are sold on the idea that a career in the music business is all glitz and glamour,” Brandt says. “I am very blessed to do what I do every day. There is a certain routine that comes along with it though. I’ve found the secret has been to look towards the needs of others. That has been the biggest eye-opener for me personally as to what I could use my platform for. It is important to have a mission that goes beyond music alone. To be able to share my message and word with people from across the country and beyond drives home why I love what I do.”

Article published in February 15, 2012 edition of the Times & Transcript

Released in November 2011, Th1rt3en is Megadeth’s first record since 2001′s The World Needs A Hero to feature founding member  and bassist Dave Ellefson on record. Ellefson and Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine acrimoniously parted ways after the group’s 2001 record however Ellefson rejoined his longtime friend and Megadeth in 2010.

From the band’s Gigantour stop in the Toronto area last week, The MusicNerd Chronicles had the extreme pleasure of speaking with Dave Ellefson in regards to the relaunch of their popular Gigantour tour as well as what was behind his decision to become a pastor.

What was behind the decision to relaunch Gigantour at this point in the band’s career?

Ellefson: The last time that the band undertook Gigantour was 2008, almost four years ago. It just seemed as though the timing in terms of having released Th1rt3en was perfect. The record came out late last year so it had actually helped set the stage rather well for us undertaking a tour in January and February. What is really nice about putting together a package like this, with legacy heavy metal bands like us and Motorhead alongside Lacuna Coil and Volbeat, is the fact they we don’t really have to stay out of the way of other tours.

It seems as though Megadeth is constantly on tour if you’re not in the studio making a record. You also seem to have embraced social media by keeping in close contact with your fans via web diaries and more. Is having a close relationship with your fans and being “approachable” something that you consider to be an important trait?

Ellefson: I think you’re exactly right. As you’re in a band that becomes more and more popular, it is almost as though the cocoon that you live in becomes smaller. And of course, the danger associated with that is that you lose touch with the very core group of fans who put you there to begin with. For heavy metal, our whole scene started with tape trading and an underground sort of culture. These days though, you’d be crazy not to use modern technology and conveniences to your advantage to build a closer relationship with your fans. There was a period in the 90’s where the mainstream was not favourable for those of us in thrash bands and for those of us that survived, we learned a lot. The people that have always been there for us have been our fans and now we are fortunate enough to have a second wave of resurgence behind the band.

Aside from Dave Mustaine, you’re the next most senior Megadeth member. How is the lineup with Chris and Shawn gelling in the studio and on stage?

Ellefson: Honestly, it is working extremely well. It is something that you can only really learn from experience though. Dave and I can look around and rely upon our past experiences to guide us forward. There were times in the past where I think we got going too fast and ended up wiping out. These days though, we have learned how to handle ourselves better.

Tell me a little about what made you decide to undertake studies to become a pastor.

Ellefson: My decision really stemmed from attending the church that I have raised my children in. The pastor of the church is a really cool guy. He’s a musician and a songwriter and knows a lot about rock n roll. When he moved to Scottsdale to become the Senior Pastor at the church we attend, he and I really hit it off and he was the one who actually suggested that he felt I would be a good fit. He told me that the church needs to have more current and relevant people in their ranks. In a way, he felt as though I was the perfect example because there was a time in my life that I had turned away from the church but ultimately returned triumphantly. My story is a believable one and that is something that people look towards when they are deciding whether to trust in you. I believe that playing in Megadeth has been one of my primary purposes in life however I feel as though a lot of people reach a point in their lives where there is a fork in the road and aren’t quite sure where to turn. I’m proud to be taking the seminary training so that one day, I might have a solid answer to give back to them.